Finally got a good start on chopping corn

Today I chopped 7 loads after taking a bit to get going this morning. I tried to chop with our chopper on Tuesday night after installing the pulley, but broke a gathering chain after 1 round and had to quit. Dad got a new one drop shipped right from New Holland and by our surprise it came the next day (Thursday) so I put it on and chopped 3 loads.

Today I unloaded 1 wagon and then got the neighbors other wagon that had 2 flats in their yard after pumping them up, and I put some of our tires on off a busted wagon that's been sitting around for a while. After breakfast Dad had to do some errands so he unloaded when he got back, I had the chopper greased and the shear bar adjusted again, so we went at it.

The corn I started on today was almost flat on the ground from 3 different bad wind storms from the North, so after I got 4 rounds off, I quit trying to go East to West and just started going West to East. The 880 corn head does a great job of picking it up, and doesn't plug too awful much. Maybe once every 2 or 3 loads I had to get off to feed in the wad after reversing the head to spit it out.

Good news is, the wagons are full after 8 rows (4 passes) which is as good as I have ever seen this field produce. If it weren't knocked down it'd easily be over the canopy on the tractor. As it is, where it is still somewhat standing, it's maybe up to the fenders.

Still waiting to get a bagger so we can really hit it hard. Our small silo is full, and we started filling our other silo that lost it's roof last spring just so we could keep going. We'll let the small silo settle some more and then we'll put another load or so up, then cap it off.

After it was all said & done today and after supper, I noticed one of the tires on the chopper is flat... We got one more spare in the shed so we can keep going, but still irritating. When we bought the chopper we took that tire off and put our spare on for the drive home because we knew it was rough. Just another day on the farm I guess...

Donovan from Wisconsin

Glad to hear you're making progress Don. I've had my share of flats and blown hoses this year, we all have those days.

Didn't John Denver sing "life on the farm is kinda laid back" ?

He obviously never farmed a day in his life.

Gene

Got a flat on the rear of our 285 a week or 2 ago after picking up a small nail, and Dad pulled another one out of the lug that was about 1 1/2" long today, about 8" from where the other nail was.

We've been good the last few years as far as flats went, so this year we're playing a little bit of catch up, Although last fall hauling manure the 285's rear let go on the sidewall. We had the tires from our 1755 mounted on it- That tractor sat for 10 years and the tires certainly weren't getting any better, so it seemed to be a good deal vs. new for a tractor that does lots of road travel. We just sold the 17 2 months ago and used the cash for the chopper we bought, so all in all I think it was a good deal.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Don

We too had one of those years but we are doing Okay.

Give thanks for what we can even after a bad day, or after a time has past gave thanks that at least we had a chance to have a bad day.

Glad you are getting a good yield. I"ve no corn in but my hay did very nice and maybe a three cut. If we get a 3 cutting I break a new record for me on bales to acre for the year.

Hope thing smooth just a little for you.

Check to see if the corn stalks are knocking the valve stens off. We had thet problem this year with our 782 NH. Took a tire apart and welded on a valve stem guard to stop it ad had no more problems until the main gear box went out.

The stalks pretty much lay flat after being cut off, and they point away from the valve stem. the wagon tires were flat just parked there but he likes to use truck tires instead of implement tires. I don't mind if we have to replace a tire if it goes flat while we use it, but that doesn't mean I wanna put an implement tire on it when he'll put it on something else.

Donovan from Wisconsin

I had quite a time Tuesday and Wednesday,but Thursday and Friday went good. Finished up 17 acres,going to get in to 23 a half a mile farther down the road today. Hope my luck holds out.

I have noticed in the past the borrowing word.Do you borrow about every thing you need to farm with??A decent truck tire will out last an imp.tire 10-15 to 1 unless you are talking 1/2T truck tires.

We finally got a day without rain and started cutting corn too,Firday. Rained last night, looks muddy here today with more rain in forcast. Oh well, one day at a time. Bruce

There in lies the problem. They are indeed light truck tires. He gets them from his son who gets them for free. We only borrow the chopper wagons because of convenience. We have 2 and he has 2. We had 3 but one broke the gearbox a couple years ago and we haven't found a replacement yet. He borrows from us once in a while too so its not a one sided deal.


Donovan from Wisconsin

Glad to hear you are making progress. Not to brag but we got through silage with no breakdowns aside from me backing into the conveyor on the bagger and knocking the front side panel loose. Granted I only chopped 10 tandem wagon loads for a 100' bag but still a first for me. Also had the electric controls fully functional for the first time in 15 yrs., so nice to have them back. I don't chop much anymore but still nice when I do use it.

After today we have 19 loads, 16 from a 7.5 or so acre field. If it keeps filling wagons like that we'll fill 2 9 x 200 bags yet on top of filling both of our silos. Last year we filled 2 bags like that but one silo had mostly haylage in it and the other we only filled 1/2 way. We are waiting for bagger to come, but once dad unloads the last 3 wagons the silos should be almost full.

For a field down as bad as this one was, I'm pretty darn happy so far.

Donovan from Wisconsin